(keep 'em comin', folks, and we'll sneak 'em in whenever and wherever we can!) kk
Billly Joel’s new release premiered on February 1st as promised.
While I couldn’t be more thrilled that he’s making new music again, this is hardly the “knock your socks off” comeback we were expecting.
Instead, we get a pretty stripped down tune.
Billy’s in fine voice ‘tho … in fact, there are times he sounds a bit like Elton John on this one. (The two famously toured together in the past.)
You can catch they lyrics video here:
He also performed it at The Grammy Awards Sunday Night.
(I didn't quite get that ...
The Grammys were never the place to premier NEW music ...
The ceremony has always been about celebrating and honoring an artist's performance over the past year ... or, in some cases, a lifetime achievement award.
This was a pure and blatant attempt to show A) that Billy was back and B) that he had a new single to promote ...
NOT the standard fare for this ceremony.)
I guess it's a new trend ... the first thing Taylor Swift did was use her acceptance speech to announce her new album ... and announce that she'd be posting the cover art as soon as she left the podium.
Of course the LAST thing she did was with The Grammy for Album Of The Year, making her the first artist in the history of these awards to win a FOURTH Album Of The Year Award. (She came into the ceremony tied with Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder as the leaders with THREE Album Of The Year Awards each ... some pretty heady company.) I think Taylor Swift is a MUCH bigger star than many of us even realize.
I won't even pretend to be up to date on some of the other artists nominated. (It used to be you could buy a Grammy Nominees CD a month before the ceremony and familiarize yourself with some of the nominated songs and artists ... but they stopped issuing these in 2020.)
Still, the program moved along at a brisk pace ... and was very well produced. Even host Trevor Noah was tolerable, getting off a few good jabs along the way, all in the spirit of good, clean, entertaining fun.
Seeing Joni Mitchell perform (her first appearance at the Grammys EVER!) was an emotional experience ... and you could see several members of the elite audience shedding a tear during her performance of her '60's classic "Both Sides Now") ... and Billy Joel closed the show with both his latest release "Turn The Lights Back On" and his 1980 Top Ten Hit "You May Be Right," which ultimately played out over the closing credits.
Miley Cyrus proved to be quite likeable, winning a couple of what I can only presume were unexpected awards, performing her big hit "Flowers" and disclosing that she wasn't wearing any underwear. (Were we expecting anything less?)
But the most moving moment for me by far came early in the program when country artist Luke Combs told his story about why it was so important to him to record his #1 Pop and Country Hit "Fast Cars," a cover of the Tracy Chapman hit from 1988 ... (Chapman won two Grammys herself that year, for both this tune, "Top Pop Female Vocal" and as "Best New Artist.) ... and then performing it WITH Chapman on stage. It was electric. (kk)
Bruce Springsteen’s mother passed away on Wednesday (1/31/24) … she was 98. (Bruce’s father died in 1998.)
Also leaving us this past week was Wayne Kramer, founding member of MC5.
MC5 have earned the rep as one of rock’s original punk bands, even tho their brief moment in the sun came in 1969 with their minor hit “Kick Out The Jams.” (61 in Record World … but only #82 in Billboard.)
Still, they were the pride of Detroit there for awhile … and Jann Wenner wanted them in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame so badly, he made sure their name made the ballot SIX TIMES … yet they still never garnered enough votes to make the cut. (Guess nobody else out there … as in just out EVERYBODY … didn’t feel they deserved it!) Personally, I don’t think you should be allowed more than three times on the ballot … if they don’t vote you in by then, you’re off the list. Then again, MOST people probably feel MC5 are more deserving than The Guess Who or Jethro Tull or Tommy James and the Shondells or The Turtles or Three Dog Night … or any of the countless others who have shown up on our Deserving And Denied list. (For the record, MC5 never showed up there either!) kk
It was sad to lose Apollo Creed, too. (Carl Weathers passed away on Thursday, February 1st.) He just seemed like such a likeable guy! Others remember him from “Happy Gilmore” or “Curb Your Enthusiasm” or any number of other roles. Weathers had recently filmed an ad to be aired during The Super Bowl, which will now be reworked to better commemorate the late actor. (kk)
Noise 11 is calling “The Greatest Night In Pop” one of the best music documentaries ever made.
The 90 minute film, now streaming on Netflix, recaptures the excitement of putting together a wide array of top pop stars to record “We Are The World,” a charity single that has since raised over $60 million.
And this list of artists represents a “Who’s Who” of the biggest names in pop at the time.
The tune was written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson … and the whole cast of characters performed to perfection under the direction of master producer Quincy Jones.
Taking part (in addition to Richie and Jackson) were Stevie Wonder, Kenny Rogers, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Willie Nelson, Steve Perry, Daryl Hall, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles and Bruce Springsteen among several others who also sang spotlight solos or contributed to the background vocals.
The film is definitely worth seeing. (As I mentioned the other day, even if you’ve seen or own the original behind-the-scenes documentary put together at the time, you’ll be blown away by the amount of never-before-seen footage and back stories that this film has to offer.)
While most of the story is told by Lionel Richie, Cyndi Lauper, Huey Lewis, Sheila E, Dionne Warwick, Bruce Springsteen and a few others also make comments along the way.
You can read their review here: https://www.noise11.com/news/the-greatest-night-in-pop-we-are-the-world-is-one-of-the-best-docos-ever-made-20240201
One of the big tours this summer will feature REO Speedwagon and Train on the road together.
Well, they showed up together last week on Jimmy Kimmel’s show …
And performed a mash-up of their hits “Drops Of Jupiter” and “Keep On Loving You” …
Which actually sounded pretty damn good!
60 YEARS AGO TODAY:
2/5/64 – Actress Laura Linney is born
